Something to be Thankful for
by TinkanaiT32
Summary: ((PruCan Holiday Series Part 1)) America has dragged his introverted neighboring country to his house for a Thanksgiving potluck with the rest of the world. With a heavy heart, Canada has prepared for yet another night filled with being ignored, but wait...who's this strange country who can't seem to take his eyes away from the blonde?
1. Chapter 1

_For those of you who do not yet know me. I am TinkanaiT32 AKA the Truthsayer of Fanfiction. I tell the dramatic truth, the whole dramatic truth, and nothing but the dramatic truth. My reviews are lengthy, legendary, and love-filled (Okay maybe not so much the middle but that's how I view it). __And for those who do know me..._

_Ello' Chick-a-dees! Long time no see..uh…write…er…you know what I mean! I missed you guys (and girls) like crazy. What began as enlightenment quickly grew into torture. Quit FF?! How in the world could I possibly do that? Answer: Obviously I couldn't. I tried really hard, but my OTPs and favorite authors just dragged me back in. _

_I also found out I'm now a Tony/Loki (Avengers) fangirl while I was away and that good PruCan was severely lacking on FF. So this brings me to my latest project. A PruCan one-shot to get me back into the swing of things. And maybe…just maybe I'll bring back my old fanfics (new and improved of course). _

_Well Chick-a-dees, have a happy Thanksgiving and enjoy~_

**Warning: Man on Man kissing (although I know that's the exact reason you all came here XP)**

**Disclaimer: I do not, have not, and will not ever own the rights to Hetalia. Now let me sulk about that fact in peace. **

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><p>"Oh Maple," I sigh for what seemed like the umpteenth time in the last ten minutes. I didn't know why I did this to myself. Honestly I must be a closet masochist to continuously endure this torture also known as the loud, rowdy, pushy country: America. And what has my brother done this time? Well simply put he had the bright idea to invite to world over (and I'm not exaggerating) for a Thanksgiving dinner potluck.<p>

Well actually now that I think about it if China brings over his famous steam buns then I guess it wasn't too bad of an idea, but that's not the point! The point is that Thanksgiving is a Western holiday and yet he expects everyone to celebrate it. I'll have you know, Canadians have our own Thanksgiving and I spent it last month happily as I watched the annual Kitchener-Waterloo Oktoberfest parade. It's not my fault that it happened to be around the time of Columbus Day for Americans (and don't even get me started on what a farce that holiday is).

I was hoping to use this time as a break from America's usual antics, but would he let me at least have the holidays to myself? No, of course not. So there I was, at the front door of America's home holding a dish of my country's famous Saskatoon berry pie in one hand and Figgy duff in the other waiting for the host to open the door and let me in. Finally I heard a loud barking laugh that could only come from the bold North American country and sure enough not 5 seconds later the door opened and my violet eyes met with brilliant blue. Following suit a familiar blonde invaded my vision as he pulled me into a bone-crushing hug, albeit awkwardly because of my full hands off to the side. When he finally let go and I could breathe (Did super strength come with being a super power?), I got an earful.

"Canadia! Glad you could make it! Come on in!" I sighed as he once again butchered my proud name, but said nothing. Every time I corrected him, he just seemed to forget the next time we saw each other anyway. I gratefully stepped inside into the surprisingly moderately decorated foyer and shivered at the pleasant sensation of going from cold to warm. When he motioned to take my coat, I gestured to the dishes in my hands.

"Oh! Whatcha bring?!" He shouted, never really knowing what inside voice entailed.

"Saskatoon berry pie and Figgy duff," I replied also listing off a few of the main ingredients to each.

"Sounds funky," he said wrinkling his nose. "I like it!" He grabbed the two dished from me so I could relieve myself of the heavy coat. "Come on, let's take these to the kitchen with the rest of the dishes," he told me rather than suggested. When I entered the kitchen, the first thing my eyes landed on was the counter nearly full of dishes. I sniffed the air and yes the aroma of China's steamed buns filled the air along with the distinct smell of Pumpkin pie and many other foreign scents.

"As you can see, there are already quite a few other countries that arrived. They are in the living room." America then proceeded to lead (read: manhandled) me to the aforementioned room where the other countries have already made themselves at home.

China and Russia were playing what seemed like a drinking card game. Honestly, it just could have been a regular card game and Russia was drinking from a bottle of vodka just for the hell of it. Greece was curled on one of the couches taking a nap. It never ceased to amaze me how he could sleep through the noise (it was the same at world meetings as well).

Poland was showing off his new 'Fresh-Off-The-Rack Fall season boots' that he bought recently that just went 'so well' with his double breasted overcoat. And it did truly. No one could deny the Polish man had style. Spain was pestering Romano again it seemed and the shorter Italian was blushing furiously. A few words drifted over to me, something about tasting his drumstick, and I quickly tuned out that conversation.

In one corner was a group of South Asian countries singing into a karaoke machine. Foreign words flowed slowly from their mouths (ni wen wo ai ni you duo shen?), but it was beautiful none the less. I listened for a few moments longer, smiling softly when I saw the small Taiwan, dress flowing around her as she gave her all to the heartfelt performance. Eyes roaming the room once more I spotted England and France bickering, no surprise there. England looked ready to throttle the Frenchman, while the other just laughed in the other's reddening face.

All in all, the atmosphere was warm and inviting…but I didn't immediately go to join in. I knew that if I tried to join in a game or discussion then I'd get a "Who are you?" or worse "America are you wearing contacts?" So I just stayed to myself most of the time, and that suited me just fine. I was more of an observer anyway, and the other countries where more than entertaining to watch. Especially when thrown together in an event such as this.

My eyes wandered once more, this time to the décor. It was interesting to say the least, seeing America's home for the first time. I don't know what I was expecting. Cowboy and Indian wallpaper? Sports jerseys decorating the walls? A disco ball hanging from the ceiling perhaps? Whatever my mind had conjured up was nothing compared to reality. The furniture was a mix of dark mahogany tables and black leather sofas. A large 50 inch flat screen television took up a good portion of the back wall and was currently displaying the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. A few potted plants took residence in the corners of the room and towards the back were glass doors that led to what I assumed was a backyard.

I retraced my steps back to the foyer and passed by an archway. Curious, I ventured a little further into the house and walked down a hallway which I found that along the walls were a few abstract paintings. I walked over to get a closer look, surprised at the presence of such art. I mean I didn't take America for a Kandinsky fan. There was even one from Pollock as well a few yards down. One painting in particular caught my eye. If I had to describe it, it looked like a twisted city on a hill. The sky, a collage of colors with seemingly random thick black lines cutting across the canvas. There was also a rocket in the corner…or was it a hand? On second thought I really had no clue what the painting was supposed to be. I guess that's the reason it's abstract.

I quickly grew bored with my failed attempts at guessing the meaning behind the artworks, and was considering flipping the painting 180 degrees just to see if my brother would take notice when I was suddenly bumped into from behind. A startled 'eep' escaped my lips involuntarily and I flailed my arms trying to keep my balance. Strong arms wrapped around my waist to keep me steady and I jerked at the unfamiliar feeling, causing my glasses to sit askew on my nose.

Two red blurs appeared in front of my face, but when I corrected my glasses and blinked a few times, they slowly became two crimson eyes. Well that was certainly something you don't see everyday. Though I really shouldn't judge with my own violet orbs. Further inspection revealed pale white skin and above was an equally pale tuff of wild hair on the other's head. Lowering my gaze back to the other's eyes, I noticed the amused look he was giving me and realized I was staring way too long than deemed socially acceptable. Not only that, but I was still captured in his arms while my hands were resting on the stranger's rather muscled biceps. With a slight cough, and most likely red face, I quickly regained my ability to stand on my own two feet and moved away from him.

"Es tut mer leid," the voice spoke lowly before continuing in English "Sorry about that." My brain didn't register the English for a while because it decided to take a vacation at that exact moment. W-was that German? The German language was always a fascination of mine, but...my mind was a least present enough to realize that the person in front of me certainly was not the robust country of Germany. Then who...? The thoughts trailed off as I was once again reminded of just how long I was staring, but I was also aware of the other staring right back. I felt myself warm up slightly as I cleared my throat.

"I-it's no problem," I managed to say after a while, and maybe I might have said more (like...oh I don't know...asking what country he represented), but unfortunately, or fortunately depending on how you look at it, there was a shout behind us and my mysterious partner turned his head to respond.

"Ich bin hier! Einen moment!" Oh yes, that was definitely German. When he turned around he gave me an apologetic look. If I didn't know any better I'd say he was pouting. Which was weird...unless...unless maybe he wanted to talk to me as well? No, I didn't dare hope and quickly shot down the thought. It was a miracle in itself that he noticed me in the first place."Gotta go," he told me and I nodded for lack of a better response.

It was only after he left that I realized I was holding my breath and let it out in a huff. Just what was that all about? And just who was he? Shaking my head I decided to just return to the living room. More countries have obviously arrived and I wanted to observe some more. And if I just happen to see my mysterious companion and find out his identity than so be it. I was just about to enter when a loud shout reached my ears. Who else but America? I sighed and walked into the room when another equally loud voice responded. Now that was different. I looked around to spot the origin of the noise and my eyes landed on two figures in the foyer, one being the stranger I had just met and the other my dear brother. They were engaged in...rock paper scissors? Wh-what?

"Okay then, best 2 out of 3, Prussia!" America was yelling. "And then you can be allowed to eat with the rest of us countries."

"Kesesese...the Awesome me doesn't need permission to do anything! But I'll humor you!" Were his words but I spotted a bit of tension in his eyes and around his mouth. Then suddenly America's words registered in my mind and drew me a pause. Prussia? The crimson eyed stranger was Prussia?! I've heard tales, of course, about the once great and mighty Prussia, but I've never seen pictures or even descriptions of what he looked like. Hell, I didn't even know he still existed! Weren't personifications of countries supposed to disappear with their respective countries or something? For him to still exist...my thoughts were interrupted by a shrill yell.

"Rock, paper, scissors...schießen!" Prussia yelled forming his hand into the shaper of paper effectively winning over America's rock. "Take that!"

"Okay, you have earned the right to be with us countries this time!" America shouted, but the large smile showed it was all in good humor. "Welcome to my home! Mi casa es su casa and all that jazz, so enjoy!"

Prussia raised an eyebrow, but just nodded his thanks. The crowd that had seemed to accumulate around the two dispersed and the atmosphere was once again filled with conversations. Most not even in English. I stayed off to the side by myself staring not so creepily at Prussia wondering if I should just approach him or not. I never got the chance anyway when a shout rang out telling everyone the football game was starting. There was an unanimous decision (read: America declared) for everyone to move to the living room to watch the football game. In truth half of the countries had rolled their eyes and commented on the lackluster sport, claiming soccer was far superior. Well that didn't settle well with the other half comprised of die-hard sports fanatics, and World War III was almost upon us when someone had the bright idea to have an actual football and soccer game in America's spacious backyard to see which one was better.

The actual football game forgotten, everyone rushed out back to form the two teams up. I wasn't surprised to see it turn into a game of Western vs Eastern countries. Typical. As for me, I remained undetected when they starting forming teams and walked over to the backyard porch where table and chairs were set up and watched dutifully from the sidelines. For once the fact that I seemed invisible to the world worked in my favor since I was more a hockey person than anything. So there I sat alone on the porch, curled in my favorite red hoodie with a white maple leaf on it. Alone. Or at least I was until a familiar streak of white crossed my peripherals as someone sat to the right of me.

I stared wide eyed not sure what I should do, my thoughts running wild. D-did he mean to do sit here next to me? Oh what was I thinking of course not, he probably didn't even realize I was there. And yet as soon as those words were thought Prussia turned towards me with that same amused expression gracing his features. "Hallo again," he said and my eyes widened. He...he remembered me?

"You remember me?" I had to say out loud just to see if it was true.

"Of course," he said as if it were an impossible thing to do and that made me pause. I was just so used to everyone forgetting about me or just not seeing me. Why the thought that I might be remembered just once was completely foreign to me...but also nice. Realizing there was a silence creeping between us I racked my brain to find something, anything to say to break it, but the other beat me to it.

"I'm Prussia by the way. I realized we didn't get a change to be properly introduced." I thought back to our first meeting and the warm feeling of being held. The close proximity of our bodies, faces barely a foot apart..."And you are..." he prompted, bringing me back to the conversation.

"I'm Canadia," I said without thinking. By the time I realized what I said I was mortified. "I mean Canada!" I hurried to correct, my arms flailing about. "I'm Canada." Way to go self, now he thinks you're an idiot, I thought bitterly. I snuck a glace at him just to see if I had completely lost his interest (or worst scared him away) and found that his lips pursed but twitching like he wanted to laugh but was holding himself back. For that I was grateful, but still horribly embarrassed. Trying to redeem myself I turned the spotlight towards him.

"Why aren't you out there playing?" I asked because he seemed like the sporty type if the muscles I felt when in his arms had anything to say about it.

"Eh...not my scene." Well, I was completely wrong. No surprise there. "Actually I don't even know the rules, so if it doesn't make sense then it's not that enjoyable to me."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Football isn't that hard to understand. There are much less rules than baseball or basketball for that matter."

He arched an eyebrow in surprise. "Really? At first I thought it was get the ball and run, but then there's all these flags being thrown around," he said and his words rang true when a shrill whistle filled the air. It seemed that the Eastern team was thrown yellow flag for using martial arts during the football game. The referee (Hungary with her deadly frying pan) calmly explained that flips were not allowed in the game and that made me chuckle softly. See why I enjoy observing?

At Prussia's questioning gaze, I explained the situation to him and that led to more laughter. Seizing the moment, I explained the basic rules of football to him, even going as far to elaborate on exceptions to the rules or the sports jargon used. He nodded along and seemed to soak up the information I gave him, interrupting only a handful of times to clarify a few things.

As we watched the game, I was proud when he started pointing out specifics of the game on his own. A particularity smug look adored my face when he shouted at the ref for making an obvious foul call. The look, however, quickly vanished when a frying pan sailed past my head making me jump and emit a small 'eep' in surprise. Beside me Prussia didn't even try to hide his snickers, and soon I was joining him.

"Birdie!" Prussia suddenly shouted beside me, ceasing my laughter and causing me to jump for the second time in less than a minute. "That's it, I'm gonna call you Birdie," he continued with a determined nod of his head.

"Pardon?" I was really confused at the turn the conversation had taken.

"That's gonna be my nickname for you, because of that adorable 'eep' sound you make when you're surprised. It reminds me of my pet bird. So Birdie it is, or maybe Vögelchen is more suitable." He seemed to mutter to himself.

I stared wide eyed at the man beside me for many reasons. The two biggest ones being 1) did we even know each other long enough to give nicknames, and 2) did he say adorable? I shook my head in disbelief and watched as his face fell.

"Do you not like it?"

"What?" I asked alarmed at his crestfallen expression then remember my previous gesture. "Oh no, it's not that!" I hurried to reassure him because that pout was dangerous. "I'm okay with the nickname...I guess."

"Which one? Birdie or Vögelchen?"

"What does...Vögelchen mean?" I asked hoping I didn't butcher the pronounciation.

"Birdie," he said simply and even if they meant the same thing, having the German nickname appealed to me much more than the English one. When I told him so, the smile he gave me in return had heat rising up my face. Wanting to get the spotlight off of me, I spoke about something he had mentioned earlier. "You have a pet bird?"

"I said pet, but Gilbird is really apart of the family."

"Girlbird?" I parroted.

"That's his name!" he explained gleefully. "He's a small yellow chick with just the softest feathers. He loves to nest in my hair and pecks me whenever he's upset, but it never hurts. He's really smart too! I taught him how to fetch me simple things in case I needed something. Such an awesome bird deserved such an awesome name and thus Gilbird was named!" He exclaimed and I couldn't help but get caught up in his infectious enthusiasm. I marveled in the way his red eyes nearly sparkled as he talked, and I had no doubt in my mind that the little bird was loved dearly.

I thought about my own pet polar bear Kuma...whatsit something or other. His full name had always escaped me so I had gotten into the habit of just calling him Kuma. He on the other hand forgoes my name entirely and just calls me Owner. We have a understanding between the two of us. I care for him and he keeps me from getting too lonely. Honestly though, running my hand through his soft fur while we watch players violently clash on the rink is the best way to spend my days. Since he's no taller than my knee standing I can't help but coddle him. He acts like he hates the treatment, but I know he loves it.

"I can understand how you feel a little," I confessed. "I have a pet as well."

"What is it?" he asked but then changed his mind. "No wait let me guess. Cat?"

"Nope," I gave a sly smile at the typical guess.

"Dog?" he tried again and I had to keep myself from laughing.

"Uh-un."

"Platypus?"

That caused me to nearly choke on laughter. "Oh Maple no!"

"Well then I give up. What is it?"

I giggled (yes giggled) and told him, watching as he jaw dropped in shock. "A polar bear."

"A polar bear?" he repeated slowly in disbelief. "As in...a huge white fluffy but vicious polar bear?!"

"Not so big and not so vicious unless I forget to feed him, but yes," I shrugged since it wasn't such a big deal to me anymore. "He talks too," I added as an afterthought. Prussia gave me a blank stare.

"Okay now I know you're lying. He does not talk."

"He does," I confirmed. "Not overly complicated sentences, but he gets his message across."

"Vögelchen," he said grabbing my hands in excitement. "That is entirely too awesome!" he exclaimed and I ducked my head to hide the blush. Part at the praise and use of my new nickname, but mostly at the warm feeling of his hands in mine.

"It's not really," I murmured and he gave me a look that clearly stated he disagreed but thankfully left it at that. Unfortunately, he also let go off my hands and I ignored the sudden cold feeling.

There was a comfortable silence that followed as we watched the soccer game start. Almost immediately the Western team was yellow carded for catching the airborne soccer ball with their hands. Without thinking I leaned over to explain, and then automatically filled him on the basic rules of soccer as well. Just like with football he was quick to catch on. We took turns calling out good and bad plays. After a moment he turned towards me with what I've come to know as his signature smirk.

"You seem to know a lot," he praised and once again I felt my cheeks get warm before I mentally cursed myself. What was with me today? I've never l've never blushed so much before, but then again I never had a reason to.

"Uh no, not really," I waved it off. "Just a few things I picked up while observing them all play," I explained.

"Oh that reminds me, why aren't you out there playing?"

"Oh um...me?" I said lamely, and he gave me a look that said 'who else' which I ignored. "I'm not much of a football player, besides even if I did play I wouldn't be doing much." That seemed to get his attention.

"Why's that?" Prussia asked, genuinely curious, and I wondered how I should approach the topic. I didn't want to scare a potential friend away, but on the other hand he was bound to find out anyway. So I told him the truth.

"People don't notice me. It's almost as if I become invisible. It's always been this way," I confessed. "Even if I were wide open with my arms waving back and forth still no one would notice. No one ever does."

"Well I notice you," he pointed out.

"Yeah, something I'm still trying to figure out," I retorted with a humorless laugh.

"It's simple. I'm an Awesome guy who notices Awesome things."

"Pardon?" I stared at him with my eyebrows furrowed in question.

"I said I'm an Awesome guy who notices Awesome things." At my continued confusion he sighed. "I saying your awesome." That made me pause, but I was given no time to retort. "How could anyone _not_ see you?"

"Pardon?" I repeated.

"I mean you're a pretty interesting guy if I do say so myself, and I do. Not to mention purple eyes are definitely something you don't see everyday. And with you're glasses they just look so huge and...beautiful..." he trailed off lowly seemingly embarrassed. But that was nothing compared to what I was feeling. I swear my eyes were close to popping out of my head in response to his words. No one had ever complemented my appearance before.

"I...uh...thank you," I said lowly, my face positively burning.

"Uh...n-no problem," he replied equally flushed, an action much more noticeable on his pale skin. Then there was an awkward silence that I rushed to fill.

"So, uh...I've never seen you before now," I said before mentally rolling my eyes. Well besides world meetings I barely get out myself and it's not like I'd see the dissolved country at the meetings in the first place. He confirmed my thoughts a moment later.

"I don't usually get out much. Can't do much without a country nowadays," he said nonchalant and I held back a wince. The way he said it like it was just fact made me feel...well bad for lack of a better word. However, he seemed to make peace with the fact that he was no longer was a country. My mind traveled back to when America said Prussia could eat with "the rest of us countries" if he could win the game, and I felt a wave of pity pass through me. Those words that didn't register to me before seemed so harsh now.

"Um...so...what do you...do then?" I asked not wanted to seem rude, but my curiosity got the better of me.

"Drink."

"Pardon?" I seem to be saying that a lot around him.

"Drink, go to the night clubs in Germany. Laze about in my room," he shrugged. "Like I said there's not much to do. In order for me to travel I would need to be escorted by a country and I'm not too friendly with the rest of the world. To be honest, I think they are still blame me for about World War II. Poland just runs away when he sees me."

"Oh," I said dejectedly, though I wasn't sure what answer I was expected anyway. I would have thought not being bound to a country made you free, turns out it was the exact opposite.

"Don't make that sound. I'm not missing much from what I see from mein bruder. Just work, meetings and the occasional get together like this. I'm actually pretty happy! No more strategic meetings, no more drafting policies, no more regulating commerce and best of all no more paying the price for my citizens idiotic mistakes. I have so much free time!" He exclaimed smiling a wide smile, but even I could tell it was strained. I know too well about those types of smiles.

"Oh." I repeated because what else could I say? It's actually really great personifying a country? And just would I know about that anyway? I didn't know which was worse. Existing without a country to represent, or representing a country that everyone ignores.

"We're quite the pair, hun?" I said softly.

"What?" he asked with a raised an eyebrow.

"One of the world's mightiest countries dissolved, and one of the world's biggest countries ignored." Maple that sounded less depressing in my head.

I wouldn't know his opinion on my statement though because at that moment the game drew to a close. The two games ending with the Western countries winning the football game and the Eastern countries winning the soccer game. They came together for a handshake afterwards and just agreed to disagree before brushing the dirt of their shoes and clothing and then reentered the house. Prussia and I followed suit.

The call for the start of the meal came soon after and we were lead by America into a large dinning room with walls the color of autumn. Oranges and reds and yellows dotted the walls with a few knick knacks along a shelf that hung on one side. In the center was a long table that was fit for a castle. It easily sat 30 people in the beautifully carved chairs, however, it was the food on top of the table, however, that captured everyone's attention.

There was such a way array of dishes including farofa from Brazil, okonomiyaki from Japan, golabki from Poland, boliche from Cuba, pyttipanna from Sweden and so many more. The mixing smells were intoxicating and everyone rushed to be in their seats. I just so happened to get a seat right across from Prussia, and that made me just a tab bit more happy than it should have. Before we had a chance to dig in, however, America cleared his throat from where he sat at the head of the table. I rolled my eyes, neither surprised nor impressed at his display.

"Okay everyone before we eat, it's tradition to say what we are thankful for on this fine November day! I'll go first," he like it was a chore but it was clear he reviled in the attention. "Dudes and dudettes," America gestured to the various countries around the table. "I'm thankful for all of you coming to my home to spend the holidays." There were nods around the table agreeing with the blonde and then he gestured to his left for the next person to start.

France stood with grace and looked around the table. "I am thankful for..la amour." He also gestured to the person of his left to start and so on it went around the table, countries thankful for one thing or another. A flourishing economy, an end to recent civil unrest, elections finally done and over with ect. When it came close to my turn, I pondered what I was thankful for. My country was doing great by today's standards. Economy is good. Nothing threating public safety. Oh well actually the parliament shooting was a bit of a sore spot, but it could have been worse, and I'm happy that veteran was there to stop the shooter.

I came out of my thoughts just in time for South Korea, who sat to my right, to finish speaking and sit down. I was standing and about to open my mouth when the person to my left had risen and started his own speech. My mouth snapped shut and felt my body freeze up in embarrassment before I lowered myself back to my seat dejectedly. Of course I would have been skipped over. I'm not sure why I was even surprised. I guess I got too comfortable with talking to Prussia and having someone just _notice_ me that I had forgotten for a bit how invisible I was. However, no sooner had those thoughts popped into my mind did _his_ voice invade my ears.

"Hallo? It wasn't your turn!"

My head shot up on it's own accord and my gaze sought out the brazen albino's. D-did he just...?

"Wot?" said the accented voice of England. "No, it's my turn," he argued, bushy eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

Prussia didn't let up. "No," he replied his voice tense. "It's his." He stared pointedly at me and my face grew warm. Even more so after the brit sputtered next to me.

"Oh sorry chap, I didn't see you there. Go along then," he told me returning to his seat.

Of course you didn't I thought bitterly, but forced down those feelings. "Um..." I started when I realized the whole table was staring at me and I awkwardly stood. "I-I'm thankful for...uh...I'm thankful for..." My eyes met brilliant scarlet and I smiled a small shy smile. "I'm thankful for all the people I have met." My lips may have formed the word 'all', but my mind said there was only one and I was looking at him. I saw his lips curl up into a half smile half smirk and I tried to no avail to stop the butterflies from going wild in my stomach. I ducked my head bashfully as I sat back down and the sharing continued on after me.

More statements of thankfulness filled the room. Thankful for the raise in the monetary value of their currency, their military protecting their citizens, their budding relationships with neighboring countries and so on and so on. When it came time for Prussia to speak the table waited with abated breath. He stood and stared at everyone, having their attention and knowing it.

"What I am most thankful for.." he paused for dramatic effect, "is that I found someone to be awesome with," he concluded giving the table a rather boyish smile, but his eyes were trained on mine the whole time.

That didn't seem to be what everyone was expecting at all and there were confused looks being thrown around, everyone trying to figure out just who this special person was. Meanwhile my heart was pounding in my ears at his words. Surely he didn't mean...me? No impossible. It couldn't be me, we had only just met after all. Yes that's it. It was obviously someone else who captured the albinos attention, not...me. And those thoughts just made my chest ache all the more. My shoulders slumped and I dropped my gaze, missing the confused look on Prussia's face when I did. I tuned out most of the other countries declarations of thanks, lost in my own destructive thoughts until it came time for the last country to speak: Spain.

"I'm thankful for mi tomato, Romano~" he said unashamed blowing a kiss to the Southern Italian country.

"Bastardo! I'll kill you!" said country yelled clutching a silver fork in his right hand.

"Awww...fratello. How sweet~" Italy cooed to the displeasure of his brother, but the other just crossed his arms and looked away, his face a bright red to rival the nickname Spain bestowed upon him. I smiled at the interaction, but it was a bittersweet one in knowing that I might never had that type of relationship with someone. Fortunately the meal started, giving me something to occupy myself with as everyone began picking up a dish nearby and filling their plates. At least until someone called something to attention.

"Hey England?" Finland asked, an ever present smile on his youthful face.

"Wot?"

"Which dish to you bring?" There was a distinct pause in action after the question was asked.

"The Yorkshire pudding...why? England said glaring suspiciously everyone who suddenly stopped to take interest in the conversation. Under the glare everyone returned to sharing the dishes, but it was clear no one went towards the aforementioned dish.

"Oh no reason," the other chirped going back to the turkey in front of him.

At first there was nothing but the sounds of silverware scrapping against plates and polite requests to pass over a dish, but afterwards the room was filled with conversations. Dinner with 20 something odd countries was surreal. Snatches of conversations floated over my head, some in English, but most in the other countries native tongue. It was a spectacular event to witness, and being the silent observer I am I relished in the chance to glean cultural things from around me. One thing I quickly learned was not everyone used the same utensils. While most western countries ate with the traditional (to us) fork and spoon, the eastern countries had a mix of chopsticks, refined silverware, or in Scotland's case just bare hands. It was a sight to behold.

The food was delicious. I hurried to grab one of China's steamed buns along with smoked herring from Denmark and dolmades from Greece. Once those were gone, I sampled a few dishes from the South American countries, but stayed mostly to the more familiar North American cuisine. At the beginning of the meal I finally gathered the nerve to peek up at Prussia and caught his concerned look. I cursed inwardly for making him worry, but gave him a reassuring smile on the outside. After all it wasn't his fault I was undesirable. If I wasn't so shy I probably would have raised my voice to talk to him, but even though I knew that chances of anyone hearing or even caring about what I talked about were small, I still kept my mouth shut. Besides, the small glances and nods of acknowledgement that we exchanged during the rest of the meal were enough.

"I found the wishbone!" America suddenly shouted and that got my attention. I looked over and saw him proudly holding up the forked bone of the turkey. Now I'm not a superstitious person, but I'm all for tradition and doing things just because. Or at least that's what I told myself when America asked who wanted the honors of breaking it with him and I jumped at the chance.

"I do!" I yelled with all my might, knowing that it might not even register amongst the crowd, but for some reason or other he actually heard me.

"Alright bro! Come on down!" the blonde yelled and I nearly skipped down to him, my wish already in mind if I won.

"Ready?" he asked as he told hold of one end and I took the other. I nodded and then together we pulled the forked bone apart. America's eyes were on the bone between our fingers, but mine were closed tight in anticipation trying to infuse my will into the stationary object. It was only a few seconds later, but it felt like much longer when I felt the bone finally break. There was a groan and slowly I opened one of my eyes before both shot open in surprise. In my hand was the longer of the two halves!

"Congrats! So whatcha wish for?" he asked me. I resisted the urge to glance over at the albino that captured my interest and instead busied myself with securing the bone in my hoodie pocket.

"If I tell you then it won't come true," I told him cheekily and he laughed.

"True!" he said and we parted ways returning to our seats.

Later on the loud bustling atmosphere became more subdued as everyone started to be filled to the brim with food. Plates were cleared and dishes were wrapped up for later consumption. Everyone thanked America for hosting us at his home, and slowly trickled out of the dinning room. Some returning to the living room to watch TV still stuck in a post meal haze, others ready to return home for the night.

I myself wondered back to the hallway with the abstract paintings wanting a break from all the noise and maybe...just maybe wanting to talk more with Prussia. I rubbed the bone in my pocket and sighed. I wasn't an idiot, I knew very well that I had a slight(ly huge) crush on the albino man. Unfortunately, I also knew that asking for more than friendship was out of the question, so my wish was simple. I wanted the man as a close friend. That's all I could ask for.

"Hey Vögelchen," a voice said lowly breaking me from my thoughts and I jumped letting out a small 'eep'. I then blushed realizing that I proved his nickname right. He laughed but didn't tease me further, instead he fixed me with that same boyish smile from before. I swallowed loudly before responding.

"H-hi Prussia," I said in an equally soft almost nervous voice before tilting my head. "Wait, why are were being quiet?"

"No reason," he shrugged stepping closer to me and I felt frozen in his presence. Not in fear, oh no, but something equally dangerous. I tried to shake off the feeling and start a conversation.

"How did you like the meal?"

"It was interesting to say the least. I tried so many foods. Definitely one of my favorites are those steamed buns China brought."

"Oh Maple yes," I moaned unconsciously, too caught up in remembrance of those heavenly treats that I didn't see the hungry look that flashed through the other's eyes. "Those are my favorites too!" I whispered excitedly feeling like we were sharing secrets.

"Uh..yes...well..yeah," he scratched the back of his head and looked everywhere but at my face. That made me frown. Did I do something wrong? Before I had a chance to ask him I heard a snort come from his direction and I turned to find him staring above my head with an amused expression.

"Wh-what?" I squeaked, suddenly feeling self conscious. Was my hair a mess? Could he tell I used woman's shampoo? Oh Maple what if a stray piece of food found its way into my hair?!

"Look," he said, tilting his chin in an effort to make me look up. Slowly and with just a bit of apprehension I did, and couldn't help the way my jaw dropped slightly. Above me…above us was a mistletoe. Well, that shouldn't be there yet. Just as slowly I returned my gaze to my companion and saw his questioning gaze on me. Did it suddenly get a few degrees warmer?

"Well?" He murmured because with us standing so closely (when had that happened?) there really wasn't a reason to yell, but Maple if that didn't mean I could feel his breath ghost over my suddenly dry lips. I licked them unconsciously and watched as his eyes darted down to follow the motion before they ventured back up. It was then that I could see just how wide his pupils were as he stared into my eyes with one eyebrow arched, waiting for an answer.

"Um…I…uh…it's not Christmas!" I blurted unnecessarily not even answering his question. Seriously, my mouth was not connected to my brain at all. Prussia chuckled lowly and once again I got to feel his breath glide across my lower face. Well that didn't help my already shorted out brain one bit. "S-some Americans like to d-decorate for Christmas really early," I specified. Well at least it was a coherent sentence. "So..uh..that technically shouldn't…we can't...I mean it doesn't...it wouldn't be... v-valid?" Please stop talking, my brain tried to tell my mouth but to no avail. A thought a had just occurred to me and it made my brain clear up slightly.

"Wait, you already...a-at the table...you said you...found someone," I finished lamely.

"I did," Prussia said unashamed as he slid his arms around my thin waist. I stared wide eyed at him in shock.

"Th-then why are you doing this?!" I cried out, frustrated at the turn of events and trying to distance myself from him. I-if he already had someone in mind then why was I even needed?

"Why do you think?" he asked tightening his grip and not letting me escape.

"I..I don't know!" I whined, so confused at what was going on around me.

"Oh Vögelchen," he murmured. "My sweet naïve _awesome_ Vögelchen," he stressed the word awesome and my breath hitched in my throat in realization. "Do you get it now?"

"I th-think so...you mean me, right?" I looked deep into his eyes for the truth. "You found...me?" I asked in a whisper, my tone borderline begging.

"Ja, you," he confessed with a smile. My heart flooded with such warmth and happiness I was sure there was a large dopey smile on my face, but I didn't care. I had never dared dreamed that someone would fine me interesting enough to want to hang around for a relationship, and now...I watched as he glanced above us once more, asking silently for permission. And yet I hesitated, my eyes jumping nervously from the mistletoe above to his lips and then back to his eyes.

"Is that a no?" He asked picking up on my hesitation and gazing down at me with...oh no, Maple, no not those puppy dog eyes.

"N-no.." I stuttered though not completely sure.

"No?" He asked once more, his lips slanted over mine only centimeters apart sending delicious shivers down my spine and I wondered why was I stalling.

"Yes," I exhaled, my tone not bothering hiding the _want_ that suddenly over took me. It more of a sound than a word, but with the close proximity he heard me clearly and closed the already thin gap between our lips.

I don't know what I was expecting, but his lips softly meeting mine in a chaste kiss was not it. It was definitely nice, but his previous behavior eluded to a more passionate kiss with more teeth than anything else. Not that I was complaining. No, not one bit…okay maybe a little bit.

When he made to pull away, in a show of strength I barely used outside the hockey rink I clutched tightly to the scarf around his neck and brought his lips back to mine. From then on it was nothing but tongues battling for dominance. The room soon filled with the sounds of our (okay my) moans and lips smacking against one I got lost in the sensations of my body pressing into his, seeking that warmth that only another body can provide. I honestly couldn't tell you how long the kiss lasted, but it was only when the need for breath became too great that we finally parted.

Through heavy eyes and fogged up glasses, I eyed the dissolved nation. There was a soft glow behind his half lidded orbs, white hair faced every direction curtesy of yours truly running my fingers through his hair repeatedly, and lips..oh Maple his lips were swollen and red from our little make out session. It made me wonder what my own looked like.

"Vögelchen..." he groaned against my lips and I let out a undignified whine at the heat that invaded my body when hearing the rough spoken German. He paused and I felt his body shiver against mine. Good, I wasn't the only one affected by the other's sounds. "Vögelchen," he started again softly nuzzling the side of my neck with his nose. "I was wondering..." he trailed off and took a deep breath. "I was wondering if you would want to be awesome with me?" His hands trailed up and down my arms slowly, but I couldn't tell if the goose bumps were from his actions or his words. Just to be sure...

"Meaning?" I prompted. Oh sue me, I needed to know if he was asking what I thought he was. There was a sigh before he leaned back, however his eyes were everywhere but looking into mine.

"Meaning, do you want to date me?" he said without his signature smirk. Instead a small, almost pensive smile graced his features as he glanced up at me with his head ducked down.

I stared at this man who I've known for less than 5 hours. A man who noticed me when no one else did, remembered my name without me having to remind him, complemented me on things no one ever has…and kissed me like he didn't want to stop. I couldn't help the smile tugging at my lips in return.

"Yes, I would like that very much," I said before pulling him back in for more of his addicting taste. We stood there for who knows how long just sharing soft slow kisses when loud voices broke our tranquil bubble.

"Oh and then when Spain said he was most thankful for you, that was so romantic," Italy gushed on his way to the foyer. We peeked our heads around the corner and saw a small group of countries tugging on their jackets and preparing to leave.

"Stuff it Feliciano." Romano said but the use of his brother's human name told how serious he really was. That and the tell all sign of a blush threatening to overrun his face. He tried to hide it by snuggling deep into his scarf.

"Oh hon hon hon, I'm sure Germany could help with that!" France teased, which riled the southern Italian up even more.

"Stay away from mi fratello, potato bastard!" he shouted grabbing hold of Italy protectively.

"But Lovi-"

"But no," the other interjected. "He's going to corrupt you and have you watch filthy dungeon porn and then he'll make you sit on his puny-"

"Oh Lovi," Italy laughed cutely. "We've already done that."

There was a distict pause before...

"WHAT?! Y-you potato bastard! I'll kill you!"

From the sidelines we watched as the feisty little Romano tried to strangle the tall muscle bound German with his scarf. I hid my chuckles behind my hand, but Prussia outright laughed at his brother's predicament. I shushed him, but couldn't help the smile on my face. When he turned back towards me he still had a twinkle in his eyes that made my heart skip a beat and I leaned up to continue where left off. Absentmindedly my hand patted the broken wishbone in my pocket, happy and thankful that my wish came true.

* * *

><p><strong>And scene! <strong>

**Well what do you think Chick-a-dees? Do I have what it takes to put back on the Truthsayer of Fanfiction crown? I sure do hope so. I almost forgot just how fun writing could be. A chance to let loose and be creative!**

**On a serious note though, the Parliament shooter in Canada really shook me up. Home grown terror is a terrible thing and if our soldiers can't be safe in their own neighborhoods, then how is it so different from over there in the Middle East? **

**Well that's all I have to say for now (besides the possibility of a Christmas sequel), you know what to do: Review please. Otherwise how else will I know if I suck or**


	2. Bonus (1)

_Ello' Chick-a-dees, a special thanks to my reviewers: **Shiralala, x1, Killerkitty15, and theAwesomePurssia17 **as well as everyone who favorite my story. It was like a early Christmas present. Speaking of which, there is definitely going to be a sequel to Something to be Thankful for, and that will be published on Christmas day. So to hold you over until then, here is a two part bonus chapter about our favorite Hetalian couple. Enjoy~_

**Warning: Naughty dreams and more Man on Man kissing (don't deny it, you want it to happen) **

**Disclaimer: I have no claims whatsoever to the brilliant web comic turned anime that is Hetalia...*sniff* none at all**

**Omake (1)**

* * *

><p>The first fall of snow was always beautiful to me. The silence, like the world was holding its breath while the sky opened and soft snowflakes fell. I also watched in silence from my perch by my windowsill. I could see the faint outline of Kuma in the distance, romping around in the snow like the playful cub his was. I smiled as I pulled my blanket tighter around my shoulders with one hand, the other holding a warm mug of mulled cider. My body was relaxed, but my mind was anything but. My thoughts were wandering like usual, but this time it was in anticipation. The promised date with Prussia was just around the corner. Tomorrow I was traveling to Germany where Prussia resided with his brother. We both decided that it was easier for me to come to him than the other way around, besides he was just as excited about me being close to his native country as I was about going. I had even searched online, making a list of all the spots I wanted to visit during my stay and the events I wanted to attend.<p>

The actual date wouldn't be until after I settled down and learned a bit about the streets of the city. It made me ever so curious as to what my date with Prussia would entail. Was he the romantic movie and candle light dinner type? Or the adventurous laser tag/go kart type? Or maybe even the casual stroll through nature type? The possibilities were endless and although the nervousness wasn't completely foreign to me, the origin of the nervousness was however. It would be my first date in...oh Maple...centuries at least! There was a very brief tryst with Cuba that I would rather forget. I was thankfully shaken out of my thoughts by the front door opening and Kuma walking through, letting in a burst of cold air before the door was shut once more. He shook his fur and clumps of snow fell to the hardwood floor. I rolled my eyes at the mess and stood.

"Hungry?" I asked him, though I was already heading towards the kitchen.

"Starving," he replied paws slapping softly against the floor as he followed. His vocabulary was starting to expand the more I talked to him and it was a welcomed surprise. Gone were the days of 'yes' 'no' 'feed me' and my personal favorite 'who are you?'

"What would you like?" I said, looking through the refrigerator and cabinets for something edible for both of us.

"Cake," he immediately responded and I rolled my eyes. Its a wonder the cub wasn't plump by now with all the sweets he consumed. Instead he remained the same 2 foot plush polar bear that I knew and loved to coddle. It was hard not too especially when he gave answers like that.

"How about some real food?" I replied and if polar bears could pout Kuma would have done it and I had to resist from laughing.

"Fish." Was his sullen reply and this time I chuckled softly. I moved over to the freezer where frozen cods where already filleted and waiting to be cooked. I wasn't much of a cook (really pancakes were the only recipe I had perfected), but I wasn't completely useless in the kitchen.

I grilled the fish, nothing too fancy, just a pitch of Season All and sprinkle of lemon to add flavor. Once the fish was grilled to my satisfaction, I set one upon a plate and put it off to the side for myself, the other I placed before Kuma, and then because I'm a total pushover, I also placed a piece of cake beside the plate, with various berries piled skyhigh on top. He attacked the pastry first with unparalleled vigor and I smiled fondly. Against my will my thoughts wondered to Prussia, more specifically his mention of his pet bird, Gilbird. What an interesting name, I mused before the smell of my food distracted me enough to break from my thoughts.

I grabbed my plate and headed over to the living room, side stepping the various sized puddles of melted snow that Kuma trailed from the front door to the kitchen. When I finally reached my old couch, I sank into its worn seats with a contented sigh. I hitched my legs up onto the couch and curled them towards my body. With one hand, I grabbed my blanket proudly displaying the Canadian flag that I kept folded on the back of the couch and tugged it down. It fell into a heap on my legs and I tugged a few more times to settle it comfortably over my lower half.

Finally secure, I picked up the remote that was laying atop the coffee table next to the sofa and pressed the power button. The sounds that the television emitted rang throughout my small wooden cottage. The ring of bells, shouts of the fans in the stands, and the clang of sticks clanking against each other calmed me more than it should and maneuvered a pillow to create a makeshift table to set my plate on. I nibbled on the grilled fish absentmindedly as my violet eyes took in the carnage displayed on the screen.

Hockey was a brutal sport to watch, there was no doubt about it, but it was also exhilarating if you were the one on in the rink. Gliding across frozen ice with the matching speed and ferocity? Ducking and weaving through your opponents or sometimes just going straight through them? There was nothing like it in the world. I only experienced it a few times with an actual team (playing with humans was a little unfair to them), but most of the time I skated alone on the frozen pond in my backyard and it was still enjoyable. Watching had its merits as well. It's the sense of pride that was the reason I found myself watching it most nights. It was a comforting and comfortable routine. And somehow, moments later with my plate empty on the pillow in front of me and the announcer blaring comments in the background, I feel into a deep sleep.

_It was dark. _

_So dark._

_I was alone. _

_So alone._

_No one could see me._

_I was ignored._

_As usual._

_'I see you,' a voice greeted me in the darkness, and I wondered how could that be. I could barely see my own hand in front of me. I turned around, my eyes scanning the nothingness around me. It was a bit unsettling. Even more so since the voice sounded familiar, but I couldn't place it just yet._

_'How?' I questioned, doubt lacing my words, and then I almost face palmed. That was the questioned I asked? Not 'who are you?' or even 'where am I?' My stupidity astounded me sometimes, but what's done is done. _

_'I'm an Awesome guy who notices Awesome things.' _

_That made me gasp, recognizing the words and finally the voice. 'Prussia?' I whispered, almost afraid to be wrong._

_'I see you, Vögelchen,' was his reply whispered right into my ear, making me shiver. I turned around, towards his voice, but was disappointed when I could only make out his general outline. I stepped closer to him and was surprised when his arms wrapped around me in a tight embrace. _

_The 'eep' that escaped from my mouth was muffled as Prussia swooped down to capture my lips in a kiss. It wasn't chaste like our first kiss, nor was it like the slow lingering ones we exchanged before we went our separate ways from America's home. No this were hot and heavy, full of want and burning with pent up desire. I drowned in it happily, my hands twisting themselves in the fabric of his shirt, anchoring myself to him. Our lips parted and we had to catch our breaths. _

_'Vögelchen__...' he groaned into my ear and if that didn't make me want to melt against him I didn't know what would. 5 seconds was long enough of a break, right? Well it had to be because we were at it again, this time his hands roaming. I tried to reign in the noises I made, but he wouldn't have any of that. Every kiss, every touch, every movement was done to unravel me I was sure. And it worked. Oh how well it worked._

_Until he stopped. _

_He stepped away from me and I let out a whine of discomfort, wanting that body heat once more. There was a soft sound, like rustling fabric and then I could feel him step closer to me. I reached forward wanting to establish contact once more and was met with the hard flesh of his chest. Hard, bare flesh. I blushed heavily and went to remove my hand, but one of his held it in place._

_'What are you...why are you..' I couldn't finish a single sentence, my brain foggy from the feel of his skin under mine. It was warm and his heartbeat was fast, erratic almost and it matched mine perfectly. Without my consent my hands moved, mapping out the musculature of his torso, with his hand remaining above mine. I felt every curve and indentation as my hands did some roaming of their own until I felt that I had explored it all. _

_Then the hand that was covering mine moved my hand lower down his abdomen..._

_And lower passing his navel..._

_And lower still..._

_Until..._

I awoke with a start, face flushed and pants embarrassingly tight. My forgotten plate clattered to the ground, but thankfully did not break. I took several deep breathes to regulate my breathing and willing the ache between my legs to go away. I heard a noise to my right and jumped when I spotted Kuma. He gave me a smug look that screamed 'I know what you were dreaming about' and that made my cheeks burn all the more. I tried in vain to keep a guilty look off of my face as I grabbed the remote. Once the television was turned off, the silence was only more pronounced. I stood up from the couch, keeping my blanket firmly wrapped around my waist and picked up the fallen plate. I walked stiffly out of the room and was only a few steps away from the kitchen, so I thought I was out in the clear. Yeah, right.

"So, who's Prussia?" the little bugger had to ask. At his statement I quickened my pace and his laughter followed me even after I dropped the plate off into the sink and escaped into my room. I slammed the door shut, more from embarrassment than in actual anger. I plopped down onto my bed and groaned into my pillow. The cub would never let me forget this moment, and for that matter neither would I. My heart sped up as the remains of my dream came back to me, and my member gave a interested twitch.

"No," I mumbled through the plush of my pillow, and thankfully it did nothing else. I crawled under my covers after making sure my alarm was set for the flight tomorrow and promptly fell into a deep dreamless slumber.

(^w^)

The next day I woke up before my alarm, a good 5 hours before my plane would take off. Plenty of time to make sure everything was ready. I cooked pancakes for Kuma and myself, and also explained to him I had meals already prepared that didn't even need to be heated in case he was hungry. It wouldn't be the first time I left the cub alone, but I was making sure it was clear that I wanted no surprise messes when I came back. I didn't even want to know how raspberries got on the ceiling like that. I took my time packing what I felt I would need for the trip. I checked and Berlin's temperatures were below freezing, not even nearly as cold as the artic of my nation, but I packed a light jacket nevertheless.

One hour before my plane would board, I took a taxi to Ottawa Macdonald–Cartier International Airport with two suitcases in tow. The drive was only 15 minutes, and checking my bags took less than 10. Security was basically no existent for me as well. One of the perks of being the personifications of a country: no hassle from TSA. And soon I was walking towards my respective terminal, with a brief stop at one of those convenience stores to get a small snack.

The plane ride in itself wasn't too horrible. I flew first class, a luxury that allowed me the space to take a nap if I so wanted to for most of the long flight that was ahead of me. At first, I made the decision to watch a movie, but the catchy tune of "Love is an Open Door" lulled me to sleep. I awoke in time for the stewardess to offer me a complementary lunch. I played it safe with the cracker, cheese, and fruit combo with a side of wine. I finished watching the movie whilst nibbling on my food and by the time the end credits rolled, one of the characters left me with some questions.

Anna was isolated her whole life, and when she found even the semblance of romance she went for it no questions asked. She was just so happy for the change that when someone showed her interest, when she 'was noticed by someone' she jumped at the chance to have her fairytale ending. It made me wonder if I was doing the same. Was I too hasty with my relationship with Prussia? Granted we weren't getting married or anything like that, but I was traveling halfway around the world for the guy. The longer I thought about it, the worse my mood became. What if our first date was failure? What if this trip would just show him that we weren't compatible? What if this thing between us meant more to me than him? What if...

Oh Maple, I took a deep breath to calm myself. I was thinking too hard on it, I realized, and that would only lead to more destructive thoughts. I decided on a different movie, a more upbeat one, to get my mind off of things. I was in the middle of a scene where the main character is revealed to be a 'master builder' when my eyes grew heavy once more and I promptly fell asleep. What only seemed like moments later I was awakened by the sound of the captain on the loud speaker.

"Good Morning passengers, it is currently 9pm Berlin time. The temperature is currently -6 degrees Celsius. We have approximately 5 more minutes until the plane lands in Berlin Tegel Airport. Until then, please do not unbuckle your seatbelts until the light indicates you to do so. Thank you for flying with us and have a good day."

As soon as the orange light showing a seatbelt turned off, I released myself from the restraints and quickly made my way to the door. When I stepped outside the plane and into the corridor, a brisk wind swept my hair into a frenzy and I relished the feel of the cold on my bare arms.

Berlin Tegel Airport was huge and busy even at this time of night. People pushed their was past me without saying sorry, it was okay though, since I said it enough for the both of us. Entschuldigung, as hard as it was to pronounce as first, was quickly becoming the most fluent word I could speak. I made sure to learn at least a little bit of German before coming. My reasoning was that I didn't want to look like a fool, but really I just wanted to see Prussia's face when his native tongue feel from my lips. I was hoping he would be pleased.

Luckily the signs had English translated next to it, so finding Baggage Claim wasn't too much trouble. I waited for the conveyor belt to move, and watched the plastic covered opening with rapt attention. It wasn't hard to spot the bright red and white amongst the blacks and greys of everyone else's luggage. I grabbed them quickly and then moved to where I believed the taxis and buses to be waiting. I wanted to get to a hotel as soon as possible, however, as soon as I stepped out of the door I heard a loud shout and I jumped in surprise turning towards the noise.

"Vögelchen!" A wide smile stretched across my face as I watched familiar white locks bounce as Prussia ran over to me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked. It wasn't my plane to have him pick me up and drive me to a hotel at such an early time.

"Well, how else are you supposed to know how to get to my place."

"Your place?" I echoed.

"Yeah, you know the place you'll be staying while you're here. My place," he explained to me, but I still wasn't getting it.

"Oh, okay?" I asked rather than agreed looking towards the ground.

"Do you not want to?" He asked in a low voice, and I glanced up to see those red eyes poorly masking disappointment.

"What?! No, I would love to!" I exclaimed before blushing. "I mean, thank you for your hospitality, but I thought...I mean, you mentioned that Germany.." I trailed off awkwardly. "I didn't want to burden you and was just going to stay at a hotel."

"Ah, oh that," he said, his brain filling in the blanks I left. "Yeah, I used to live in mein bruder's basement for a while, but I finally got the motivation to get my own place. And no, I'm not gonna let my boyfriend stay at a hotel, you're totally staying with me." For a split second I selfishly wondered if maybe I was the motivation, but I knew it was unlikely. Then his words caught up to me.

"Boy-boyfriend?" I questioned, my voice rising an octave.

"Yeah, that's the term when you're dating someone, right?"

"B-but we haven't had a date yet-"

"We will soon," Prussia interjected, but I went on.

"-and who's to say it'll even turn out well-"

"I do," he raised a hand.

"-not to mention we don't even know each other that well-"

"Which will be fixed soon.," he reasoned.

"-and then we never really talked about-"

"Mein gott," Prussia huffed before pulling me into his arms and pressed his lips onto mine, effectively stopping my tirade. "You talk too much, Vögelchen. Now listen," he told me when I opened my mouth to comment. "I won't use the B word if it makes you feel better, but just so it's clear that's what I believe we are, and I'm going to spend this entire trip wooing you until you admit it. Okay?"

"Okay," I responded giving him a soft smile. I'm sure my face was probably an embarrassing shade of red, but it didn't matter. I was so darn happy. However, my mood came crashing down when I realized we were still embracing in a crowded _public_ airport and hastened to separate.

"What's wrong?" He questioned, eyebrows scrunching together.

"We're in public!" I said quietly, a bit of panic creeping into my voice. While my own country has already progressed with gay rights including legalizing gay marriage, I knew it still wasn't widely accepted in other areas. However, Prussia disfussed my fears with laughter and a wave of his hand.

"Germany has an active LGBT community in all the major cities, including Berlin. There's nothing to fear."

"Oh," I said, feeling a little foolish for not being up to date with other countries views on homosexuality. I was pleased though that it wouldn't be an issue.

"Come one," he said grabbing ahold of my suitcases before doing a double take in my direction. "Was die...where the hell is your coat?"

"In my luggage," I told him, not understanding the incredulous expression that adorned his face.

"Why isn't it _on_ you?" he said slowly.

"I didn't need it. I'm not cold." And I wasn't, the frozen air in my lungs was actually a welcome and familiar sensation. If it wasn't for the hustle and bustle of the people around me, not to mention the loud German filling my ears, I would have thought it to be home.

He opened and closed his mouth a few times, but no words came out. Finally he shook his head and after another casual 'come on' was thrown over his shoulder, he made his way to the parking lot. I rushed to follow after him and was led to a light blue Audi.

"This is actually mein bruder's car. I drive a motocycle, but I figured you'd have more bags than it could fit so he lent it to me," he told me and I nodded, watching as he opened the trunk before making my way to the passenger's seat of the vehicle. I was confused for a moment when I went to the right side and saw the steering wheel on that side, but then remembered I was now in Europe and that was the norm. So with a blush on my face I went to he opposite side and climbed in.

The interior was nice, and I let my fingers trail along the leather seats appreciatively. Not long after I felt rather than heard the trunk slam shut and Prussia made his way to the driver's seat. He started the car and immediately heat began to circulate in the car. I melted in my seat, content. During the drive over to Prussia's place I told him about my flight and the movies I watched. He agreed that the Frozen soundtrack was cool, but the Lego Movie was hands down the best. He claims that 'Everything is Awesome' should be his personal anthem.

Laughter still rang in the Audi as we pulled up to a large cream building that was 5 stories high. He parked along the curb and we both exited the car. I went to grab my suitcases, but Prussia wouldn't have it. However, I wasn't going to let him take all the weight so we compromised and each took one maple leaf printed suitcase. His apartment was on the top floor and thank goodness the elevator was working. I didn't want to think about walking up so many stairs.

When the elevator dinged and the doors opened I was surprised at the silence. He led me over to a nearby dark blue door with the numbers 501 carved elegantly into a wooden plate. He pulled out a set of keys from the pocket of the jeans he wore and slipped the key into the doorknob. With a quick turn to the right, the door unlocked and he opened it. He stepped inside first and I followed. For a while there was nothing but darkness in front of me until with a click the lights came on. I looked around the studio apartment. There was a small section of hardwood near the door where I was currently standing on, but the rest of the room was covered with a black carpet. I took off my shoes as common courtesy, took a step forward and immediately relished in the feeling of the plush carpet beneath my socked feet.

I ventured further in and took in the sight around me. The apartment was pretty big and sectioned off in certain areas to create the appearance of rooms. To my left was a small kitchenette. Across the kitchen was a large futon and equally large flat screen mounted on the wall. Beneath it was a game counsel that was surrounded by game casings, some open, some closed. Walking further inside I could spot what I guessed to be a bedroom area. A large king sized bed was sandwiched between a nightstand and tall dresser. Against the far wall was a computer stand, items cluttered a top the structure and a laptop sat in the middle opened to a blank screen. The walls were covered with what appeared to be various sketches, and I itched to observe them closer.

However, I remembered my host and turned towards him with a smile. "It's nice," I said indicating the space around me.

He gave me a sheepish smile in return. "Thanks." He then led me over to a place I couldn't see from my vantage point. It was directly across from the bed and was sectioned off with a noren curtain of all things. It was decorated with a majestic looking peacock and I had a second to admire the art before Prussia pulled back one side to show a large...cabinet? I looked towards Prussia in confusion but he merely grinned before stepping forward and _pulling _the cabinet down. I stepped to the side as he brought it down fully and it was revealed to be a bed. A nice queen sized bed with crisp white sheets already adorning the furniture. I stared with wide and positively shocked eyes.

"You'd sleep here," he said showing me, as if I couldn't have guessed. "I wasn't sure how to do sleeping arrangements at first. I wasn't going to push our boundaries and force us to share a bed, nor would I have you sleep on the couch even if it is a futon. I had no qualms about giving you my bed, but I figured it might make you feel awkward, so I figured this would be a safe bet. I-I hope that's alright," he blushed, rubbing the back of his neck. And he just looked so nervous and...well, adorable that I couldn't help myself. I leaned forward to give him a small sweet kiss.

"It's perfect." And it was. The bed sat a good 6 inches off the ground which was just the way I liked it. Around what I believed to be a cabinet, was open shelved spaces that could hold my various belongings and toiletries, as well as drawers to place my folded clothes. I was touched that Prussia would do this for me, and that warmth that I felt at the Thanksgiving potluck was returning in full.

"I know you had a long flight so It's okay if you want to clock out now. I can show you around tomorrow."

In reply I pulled him close and kissed him again, longer this time. "Suddenly I don't feel so tired anymore," I said sincerely, which caused him to laugh.

"I actually have to buy a few groceries to stock up the refrigerator." He gave me a quick peck on the lips. "Make yourself at home, I'll be back soon."

"Hmmm..okay," I said, reluctantly letting go of him. He went over towards the front door and I watched as he shrugged on a jacket and gloves before grabbing the keys he had thrown on the kitchen counter. "Be careful," I told him. It was the same words I said to Kuma whenever he liked to venture out, the same words I said to anyone close to me when they were departing. Prussia paused for a second before sending that boyish smile my way.

"Always."

And then he was gone, and I felt like I could breathe. The whole ordeal was so surreal! I couldn't believe that not only was I in Germany (a place I've always wanted to visit but was too shy to), but I was here with Prussia my...boyfriend? The word felt foreign even in my mind. Not only that, I was in his apartment. Where he ate, where he slept, where he...showered. I blushed at the turn my mind had taken and shook my head to rid myself of the thoughts.

First thing I did was unpack my two suitcases. I neatly arranged their contents in the drawers and on the shelves. Second thing was I found the bathroom. After I relieved myself, I gathered the necessary items to take a quick shower. I changed into my pajamas (no they don't have the Canadian flag printed on them, they are actually a plaid purple print), but it was true that I didn't feel tired even after my 10 hour flight. I slept through most of it, and besides I was too wired from excitement to actually sleep. So I took the time to explore Prussia's man cave in detail. I was going through his collection of games when the sound of keys jiggling caught my attention. Soon after the door flung open and a loud voice followed it.

"I'm back!"

I rolled my eyes. "Clearly," I said, but rose from my position crouched on the floor to help him put away the food, surprised to find the refrigerator was bare. In no time we had all the food packed away, and then we were at loss for what would happen next.

"So...you're not tired at all?" he initiated.

"Nope."

"So..." he started again. "Did you _want_ to do...something?" His face was flushed and his nervousness was obvious. I knew I shouldn't, but the temptation was too great.

"Well," I purposely trailed off, giving him a heated stare as I made my way closer. "I do have...something in mind."

"Oh..uh...y-yeah?" He gulped and that made me smile slowly.

I nodded while humming an affirmative. There was barely an inch between us before I stopped moving. The pause was prominent as our breaths mingled before I backed away and strode over to the where the games were scattered around the television. "I saw you have Call of Duty: Ghosts. Think you can take me on?" I threw a saucy wink in his direction and watched with smug eyes as he blinked out of the haze I put him in. Then he gave me a wide grin.

"Oh, you're on."

While there was more than enough room on the futon, we both decided to play while seated on the plush carpet. There was a tray set between us that held snacks and beverages for us to consume, and it was eaten between bouts of laughter and playful banter about each other's 'lackluster' skills. It was the most fun I had had in a while and we ended up staying up all night playing video games, falling asleep somewhere in between killing zombies in Resident Evil and racing in Mario Kart.

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><p><strong>And that is but the <em>first<em> part of this two part Bonus chapter. I didn't want to leave you guys waiting for long, so I'll give you this. The second part will be updated next week. **

**Review please~**


	3. Bonus (2)

_Ello Chick-a-dees, here it is the long awaited (Hey, a week is a long time!) part two of the PruCan two part bonus chapter that's an extra 1000 words longer. A special thanks to m__y beta for this chapter: **Maya Gordelia. **M__y reviewers: **Peryton, meapzilla2mouse, Shiralala, **_

_**_**Bluejay Blaze **__(_**_Thank you for correcting me. I never knew Canadians were so hardcore!_**_), _**_and__

**_Casta (_**_Thank you for your kind words, but I before I got a beta I had__ to do at least 3 sweeps of my story for errors_**_). _**

_A__s well as those who favorited and followed this story. I'm happy that the story is well liked. __Now without further ado...please enjoy~_

**Warning: You guessed it: Man on Man kissing. Also disgustingly cute fluff and just a bit of angst **

**Disclaimer: You know if ownership of Hetalia hasn't changed in the past couple of years, it won't change in the last couple of weeks either**

**Omake (2)**

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><p>I awoke to the sound of chirping, my eyes moving languidly beneath half open lids while I tried to gather my bearings one sense at a time. Light violated my eyes when I tried to open them fully, so I gave up trying to see my surroundings. The chirping was a continuous noise, very pleasant despite the agitated tone, however it provided no further insight. I inhaled deeply and was assaulted by spicy-scented cologne with an underlying smell of something I couldn't quite identify. Lastly, my hands twitched to life, moving slowly off to the side of my body. I felt plushness under my fingertips and snippets of my memory came back to me. I was in Berlin, at Prussia's apartment. We were playing videogames last night and I must have fallen asleep on the floor.<p>

Except...I noticed something strange.

While the plush carpet was beneath my hands, under my body was a totally different story. My face wasn't nestled in soft carpet; instead it was something firm and covered by cloth. Not exactly unpleasant, I realized when I snuggled deeper into the object, taking another deep breath and smelling cologne once more. I was perfectly content to just drift back to sleep once more, but then the object that I had been laying on _moved, _and then if that wasn't startling enough, it started to_ talk_ as well.

"Hmmm...Gilbird, shuddup," a low familiar voice mumbled and that got my muddled brain working. With trepidation I opened my eyes. I fought against the morning glare, and then hesitantly moved my neck and looked towards the owner of that voice. With shocking clarity, I recognized tousled white tuffs of hair and pale skin. Crimson orbs were hidden, the man still partly in the throes of sleep. My neck moved again and took in our situation.

I was lying on top of Prussia; that much I deduced before having to look. My upper half was pressed firmly into his chest, hands off to the side, while my lower half was snuggled between his legs. Our covered groins were nearly touching, I realized with a heated face that only increased in temperature when I noticed we both had morning wood. That fact spurred me into motion, I lurched away from the warm body and removed myself from his open legs, sitting off to his side instead. My actions caused the other to wake fully and I watched with rapt attention as he stretched, giving me a teasing view of taut muscles rippling under the milky skin of his abdomen. I licked my suddenly dry lips.

"Ow! Gilbird, stop that!" A more coherent voice said and I noticed a patch of yellow in Prussia's white hair. "Why are you...oh," he trailed off as he noticed my presence and his eyes widened while sitting up. "Oh, I totally forgot to introduce you guys!" Awkwardness forgotten, I took in the feisty bird. He was currently nestled in the white locks, pecking Prussia repeatedly between chirps. "Vögelchen, meet mein awesome pet, Gilbird. Gilbird, meet mein awesome boyfriend, Vögelchen."

There was a pause of pecking as the little ball of fluff turned towards me. When he took flight in my direction, instinctively I held out cupped hands where he settled with a cute chirp. I raised one hand and held out my index finger, pleased when he nuzzled his soft feathered head against it.

"Hello, Gilbird," I said in a soft tone with an equally soft smile of my face. He chirped once more and I got the feeling that he was saying hello as well. Prussia confirmed this a moment later.

"He says hello." At the sound of his owner's voice the yellow chick rounded on the albino with a vengeance, chirping angrily between pecks. "Ow, what? I totally told you he was coming!" There were more chirps and twice as many pecks. "Oh, I didn't? Okay, okay, yeah I'm sorry!" The albino whined and I pursed my lips to keep from laughing. It was an endearing sight. Even more so when Prussia took the bird from his hair and pressed it close to his cheek, nuzzling it gently. I think I even let out an 'awww' at the sight.

Too soon the moment was over and the bird flew off to somewhere, leaving us alone once more.

"Did you sleep well?" He asked leaning closer to me to give me a kiss on the cheek. "I know the floor doesn't compare to a bed." It seemed that he didn't realize the position we woke up in, and well there was no way I was mentioning was transpired just minutes ago.

"I was okay," I told him and it wasn't a lie. Waking up a top of him wasn't unpleasant, though I did stretch my limbs and rolled my neck to release the tension in them. Once I felt the satisfying pops, I leant forward in return, placing one hand beside his hip and the other on his cheek as I gave him a kiss on the lips. "Good morning," I said shyly.

"More like an awesome morning," he smirked before the expression was replaced with shock. "Oh, Scheiße um...sorry about that," Prussia told me, his tone remorseful and I was confused as to what he was talking about. But then my eyes took in his stance. His previously opened legs were closed and pulled closer to his body. Oh..._oh_. I had nearly forgotten about that, my own already returned to its normal state.

"Th-that's okay," I blushed, letting out nervous laughter. "Um... Are you hungry? I can cook breakfast." I didn't wait for him to respond and quickly rose from the floor, making my way to the kitchen with shoulders tense and face burning. Once I stepped into the small space I entered into a cooking mindset. The first thing I looked for was flour, there was no way I was using the instant mix. Blasphemy, I tell you. So I got to work gathering the ingredients for pancakes and mixing them in a bowl. I decided that bacon and eggs were typical enough sides, and soon the apartment was filled with the aroma of a fresh breakfast. All too soon the chore was done and I called Prussia into the kitchen, where I had set up two plates on the island separating the kitchen from the rest of the apartment.

"Smells heavenly," he commented, seating himself on one of the stools in front the island which substituted as a dining table.

I stayed standing on the opposite side just so I could watch his face when he took a bite of my pancakes. They were my specialty, made with the utmost care. I watched with abated breath as he took his first bite and was not disappointed. Scarlet orbs widened and an awestruck expression overtook his face. I smiled proudly.

"Mein... Gott! Mmmm... I've never-" he paused to take another bite. "Nervm hab such awesum pancashs-" he swallowed. "-Pancakes in my life."

My smile widened and I blushed at the praise. "Thank you. And as much as it pleases me that you like-"

"Luvb," the albino put in around a mouthful of pancakes.

I rolled my eyes. "Love... My pancakes, please don't talk with your mouth full."

"Shor-" he swallowed then gave me that boyish smile that made my stomach do flips. "Sorry."

I tried to keep the smile off my face, but it was impossible. Instead I made my way over the stool next to him and sat down, giving him a kiss on the cheek before responding. "Forgiven," I told him and then finally started eating my own food. It was a comfortable silence between us, only broken by the scrapes of our silverware on the plastic plates and the occasional satisfied hum from my companion.

"So...um...do you have any plans for today?" I asked. The food was cleared from both our plates, and I took it upon myself to wash them in the small sink along with the other dishes I used in the preparation of breakfast and the emptied tray of snacks from the previous game night. Prussia stood by my side to rinse. It was all so...domestic, and it made that warmth return.

"You bet, Vögelchen!" He answered in his usual exuberant way. "We have a city to explore, and then I have plans to make for tonight."

That caught my interest. "Oh? And what's tonight?" I asked while attacking the greasy pan that housed the bacon.

"Our date, silly," He teased, reaching over to dip his fingers into the bin I was using to wash the dishes and flicking a glob of suds in my face. I let out an 'eep' in surprise, feeling the trail the soapy water left down the middle of my face and over my nose. His only warning was my violet eyes narrowing before I returned the action with my whole hand going in.

His face was priceless, eyes wide and lips sputtering as he tried to remove the suds from his mouth. I giggled, but it was cut short by another attack. This time the juncture where my neck and shoulder met and I shuddered at the feeling. Our eyes met and a challenged was ensued. Feet were planted firmly on the ground, we both ducked and weaved, trying to evade the dishwater as well as use it to attack the other. Soon we were both covered in suds and laughing our heads off. It was childish, yes, and I loved every minute of it. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.

"Okay, enough. Now we have to clean this mess up as well," I said, choosing to be the voice of reason.

He nodded and began to wipe the clinging bubbles away from my person with a hand towel, and I did the same to him. The next few moments were spent silently cleaning each other with goofy smiles adorning our faces. The touches were gentle and endearing throughout the exchange, and I just knew that I would never forget that moment for as long as I lived. I remembered what he said previously about wooing me and I thought it was a pointless venture since I was already and utterly hooked.

That warmth had doubled in intensity.

(^w^)

I got dressed for the day in a long sleeve cream colored cotton shirt, dark blue jeans, and brown boots. I thought briefly about tying my hair back into a ponytail but then nixed the idea. Most people mistook me for a girl most of the time as it was. We were about to walk out of the door and I was in the middle of raking my fingers through said hair when a strong grip caught my wrist.

"What are you wearing?" Prussia asked me, staring at me as if I had two heads. I looked down at the wardrobe I spent 10 minutes putting together. Did he not like it?

"What's wrong?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing in confusion.

"Okay, maybe I should ask what _aren't_ you wearing?" He clarified, but that only made me more confused. What was he talking about?

He sighed. "Where's your coat?"

Oh. "I don't need one."

"It's really cold today," he tried to reason.

I shook my head. He didn't get it. "I can handle a little cold, Prussia."

"A little- It's -13 degrees Celsius outside!"

"My winters are at least -25," I gloated and watched amused as he sputtered over the number. Rolling my eyes at his dramatics, I decided to appease him and walked over to my 'room' to get the jacket I packed. However, I switched my mind at the last minute and reached for a different article of clothing.

"There, are you happy?" I asked him after I returned to the front of the apartment, spreading my arms wide so he could see the additional clothing.

"That's not a coat, it's a vest!"

"...it has fur on it." I pointed out.

He did that thing again were he looks like a gaping fish before dragging a hand down his face in defeat. "I just… I just don't want you getting sick."

And that was when I got it. He was _worried_. He was worried about... Me. My body actually gave a small jolt in realization and I tried to blink back the mist that started to appear in my eyes. Someone was worried about me. Someone actually cared about me. And just like that all my fears, all my doubts about my relationship with Prussia, disappeared.

"I'll go get my jacket," I told him, my voice softened even farther by my discovery. I turned back around to change, but was once against stopped by a strong grip this time on my upper arm.

"What? No, Vögelchen... No, okay? You don't have to do that. I'm sorry. I should trust you to know your own body." He looked pleadingly into my eyes and I saw the regret that shouldn't even be there.

"No," I said wrapping my arms around his chest. "_I'm_ sorry for being stubborn."

We stayed like that for a while, just basking each other's presence. Our torsos were pressed together with not an inch of space between us. Our limbs intertwined, our bodies like two puzzle pieces. I never thought I would be in this position, never thought I would have the chance to be so...connected to someone else. I never thought I would find someone who I would mean as much to them as they did to me.

"Hey," Prussia whispered into my hair breaking the silence, the warmth tickling my scalp.

"Hmmm?" I hummed because I was far too relaxed to make actual words. I felt like I wouldn't want to be anywhere else, but in his arms.

"Was that our first fight?" he mused and that drew me a pause.

"Yes...I guess it was." There was a short pause.

"Hey," he whispered again causing me to let out a muffled snort.

"Yes?" I asked tilting my head upwards.

"We should totally kiss and make-up now."

And we did.

(^w^)

Once we finally untangled ourselves and got out of the house, Prussia told me our first stop on the tour was the Berlin Zoologischer Garten & Aquarium, which conveniently was open all year round. We took public transportation (Cultural Experience Prussia called it) and it dropped us off a block away from the building. Even from far away you could see the primary colored arch of the gate. Walking closer I saw that on both sides were two stone elephants sitting in front of the pillars holding up the arch. I was fascinated.

Prussia paid for both our admission tickets, but compromised by saying I could pay for the snacks. We went to the aquarium first, starting at the bottom and working our way up. The ground floor was where all the fish were, including sharks. The whole floor was dark, the only light coming from within the tanks, creating a liquid ambience. The next floor up featured the reptiles, which drew me in. I'll admit it was a bit daunting walking down the crocodile hall, but having Prussia's hand in mine helped immensely. The uppermost floor held the insects and amphibians. The insects I didn't care too much for, but the amphibians were a treat.

After I got my fill of the aquarium, we ventured outside to the actual zoo. It was marvelous. The landscape. The architecture. The animals. Oh Maple the animals! Almost 14,000 creatures, I was told by the albino, him still acting as my personal tour guide.

"This is Germany's oldest zoo," he informed me. "Built in 1841." We were walking side by side, enjoying each other's company as well as the attractions. "It features more endangered species in its collection than any in Europe except Antwerp's."

"Is that so?" I teased because I could, and smiled when he hummed in the affirmative.

"Actually, you just reminded me that I wanted to show you something." He had an excited air around him that my emotions fed from. I let him lead me through the maze-like zoo, and after a few twists and turns we found ourselves in front of a fenced off section. I looked and spotted rock platforms above still waters that were surrounded by vegetation and full of...

"Polar bears!" I gasped. Okay so it came out more like a squeal, but I will deny it to this day. I watched in childish glee as one gracelessly flopped into the water and another swam leisurely in a circle. Then a thought occurred to me. "Are there any cubs here?" I asked turning towards Prussia and witnessed his previous soft smile fade away.

"Um...not anymore," he said, his tone hesitant.

"Not any...more?" I asked in the same tone, not sure I wanted to know the story. He took away my choice by telling me anyway.

"There was one. Knut, was his name. Adorable little thing. He was the first cub in 30 years to live past infancy and he was the size of a snowball. His mother rejected him not knowing how to care for him, so the zookeepers took care of him. Everyone loved him, still does. He... Uh… He died a few years ago at the age of 4. It was suspected that it was his caretaker…" I let out an involuntary gasp. "But it was found later that it was a virus in his brain," he quickly continued, though that wasn't any better.

"Oh Maple, poor thing."

"Yeah," he agreed, giving my hand a firm comforting squeeze. He might have said more, but my stomach decided to announce its opinion in an embarrassingly loud manner. "Guess that's our cue for lunch, huh?" I blushed and ducked my head. "Come on, I've got the perfect place in mind," he told me leading me away. Away from my thoughts. I followed gratefully.

We took public transportation again to our next stop, a 30 minute ride to Neukölln. Prussia informed me that the next thing he wanted to show me was also there, so it made sense to wait until we got there to eat. Along the way I had to stop the albino from strangling a man for sitting on me, thinking the seat was empty. I placated him somewhat with a few well-placed kisses and soothing words, but the tension was still there until we left the train. I sighed when we got off, but immediately gasped when I saw the city. If I had to describe it, the word I would choose would be…Artsy. Yeah, it was definitely an artsy place with all the murals decorating the outside of buildings and peddlers selling their crafts from tents lined up on the streets. Not to mention the cultural diversity. Besides at world meetings, I've never seen the joining of cultures quite like this. It was unique and exciting, and I had to agree that it was the perfect place.

Traveling past the intricate graffiti design, we made our way to a café. Pappelreihe was the name that was etched on the marquee hanging outside. 4 two-person tables were arranged outside the building. The building itself featured a glass wall and a glass door that was propped open, welcoming. We walked inside and my olfactory bulb was assaulted by a heavenly mix of aromas. I looked around and spotted a display case, slightly foggy from the steam of freshly baked goods. As we made our way over, I took in the white and blue walls and low hanging ceiling lamps with avid interest. I had Prussia order for me, since I couldn't read the menu all that well, and we decided to sit inside and rest our legs from the wandering we did at the zoo.

As we ate we traded stories, historical blunders that have not been forgotten. There was a particularly loud laugh when I told him about the War of 1812 with America's invasion and my counterattack, and how that ended up with a military stalemate and both of us ignoring each other for 3 years. Childish, I know, because it's not like we had much control over our citizens. I was still chuckling over his story about the fickleness of Frederick William IV when we left the café and wandered around the town. I wanted to stop at every mural and graffiti that caught my eye and take a picture, and he followed with no complaint.

After passing a particularly...um...interesting image of two nude men embracing, we came across a few children drawing with chalk on the sidewalk. I looked from afar at first until venturing closer, wanting to watch the youthful art in motion. I saw many cutely drawn animals and names written creatively. Off to the side away from the crowd, I noticed one girl drawing what looked to be a wilted flower. It was beautiful even from a distance and I took a step closer wanting to see the details I knew would be there. I must have been staring longer than I thought because a soft voice interrupting my musings.

"Was?" she asked, her words not unkind. Bright blue eyes stared up me, she looked no more than 12 years old.

"Oh, um...Es ist wunderschön," I complimented her drawing, hoping my pronunciation wasn't too horrible. Judging by the wide smile she gave me, it was at least passible.

"Danke," she said twirling her hair cutely with her index finger. Her lips pursed for a moment before opening to speak. "Möchten Sie versuchen?" she asked, holding out a piece of white chalk to me. I caught the words 'do you want' and the last word was implied by her actions.

"Wirklich?" I asked to make sure, and when she nodded, I took the chalk gingerly from her fingers. "Danke." I crouched down to an empty space and stared at it for a few minutes wondering what I wanted to draw. I made a few lines to start hoping it would just flow, and strangely it did. I could see the image I wanted to create in my mind and I eagerly threw myself into the drawing. Vaguely, I noticed Prussia crouched next to me with a chalk in his hand, drawing as well. Soon there was a comfortable silence between the 3 of us, only being broken by scrapes against the ground with chalk. The girl supplied us with other colors as well.

It was only when I felt I did the image justice that I stood, rolling my neck and stretching my limbs to get rid of the stiffness that came from being stationary for so long. I stared at my drawing, a chibi version of a certain albino in a dark blue uniform with a yellow ball of feathers on his shoulder and a wide grin on his face. I honestly didn't plan on drawing him, but I held no regrets.

A moment later Prussia rose as well with a groan. I couldn't help it; I peeked over his shoulder at his drawing and my eyes widened at what I saw. It was me, also in chibi form in a light brown fur trimmed coat and aviator goggles atop my head, a small polar bear cub was in my arms.

"Great minds think alike, huh, Vögelchen?" He chuckled beside me, and I left out a laugh as well wrapping my arms loosely around his torso. It was cut short by a small gasp from the third person in our temporary trio.

"Ich weiß!" she shouted excitedly to my surprise. Before I could ask what she knew, she grabbed a red colored chalk and began to draw a curvy line from my picture to his. I watched with my mouth agape as she thickened the line and it turned into a red string connecting our two hands. Proud with her work, she gave us a wide smile while nodding.

I blushed at the implication, even more so after Prussia hugged me closer placing a feather soft kiss on my lips and the girl clapped her hands in joy. Arms still around me, Prussia turned his head to the girl.

"Danke, jetzt ist es perfekt." She blushed from the praise and ducked her head, blonde ringlets bouncing from the gravity pulling down on them. "Wir müssen jetzt gehen," he told her and I saw the disappointment she tried to hide with a smile at the mention of our departure.

"Freut mich, dich kennenzulernen," she said expressing her pleasure from our company, to which we responded in near unison.

"Freut mich, Sie kennenzulernen." The words flowed like silk coming from Prussia's mouth compared to my own. We waved to the little girl as we finally moved on to the next activity. Once we left the children behind, he spoke up.

"So, you've been practicing your German." It was more a statement than an actual question, but I answered nonetheless with a nod. "What else do you know how to say?"

I thought about it. It wasn't much, basic phrases and more common answers to questions. Although I did take a peek at one book to learn a few colloquial phrases, I choose one that stuck out in my mind and fit the situation perfectly.

"Wo warst du mein ganzes Leben?" I purred and smirked when he sent a shocked gaze my way.

"I'm sorry I took so long to find you," he answered and I'm sure a goofy smile was plastered on my face, but I couldn't care less. He told me we were getting near our next destination, and I wondered what he had in mind. I found out quickly when we passed a sign that said Werner Seelenbinder Sportpark and walked among the compound until we reached the outdoor ice rink. Prussia rented our ice skates and I waited eagerly. It's been a while since I last skated with someone else. I wondered briefly if Prussia even knew how to skate, but dismissed the idea. He must if he planned on taking me here, right?

"Um...hey...Vögelchen?" Prussia's nervous voice reached my ears and I turned around to see him holding both pairs of skates. "Soooo, I don't really know how to ice skate that well...or at all," he mumbled, motioning to scratch the back of his head, but thought better of it when the blade of the skate came to close to his face.

I blinked at him a few times in disbelief, but the blush on his face told me it was true. He really didn't know how to ice skate, but he still brought me here. Oh Maple, I didn't need a jacket if that warmth keep filling my chest. I smiled at him before taking his hand and bringing him over to a bench. After I made sure that our laces were tight I led him to the edge of the rink by the rails and stepped onto the ice. It took some coaching but soon he was beside me, legs wobbly from inexperience. I spent the first 30 minutes showing him how to balance and then how to move in gradual movements. I watched proudly when he felt brave enough to let go of the railing, and I let out a small "yes" in triumph when he moved a few feet and stopped on his own. Another half hour later of practice and we were skating side by side and hand in hand. I wouldn't have traded that moment for the world.

It was well into the afternoon when we tired ourselves out from racing around the rink (I won because I'm a competitive person) and we decided to return the apartment. We were about a block away from the bus station when I spotted a red rectangular structure with the word 'photoautomat' on a white sign at the top. I dragged him over and we settled into the booth. Once the correct change was put in we readied ourselves to take the photos. The first flash caught me by surprise, but I was ready for the next and smiled widely. For the third one I was staring deep into red eyes, and the fourth captured our locked lips.

I clutched the small photos to my chest the whole ride back to his apartment.

(^w^)

The other half of our date wasn't until nightfall so we had a couple of hours to wind down until then. When I found out that Prussia had yet to see The Princess Bride, I immediately set out to fix that. Moments later found us settled on the futon with my back to his chest and limbs tangled comfortably, laughing at the wit shown by the 'Dreaded Pirate Roberts' as well as the follies of the hopelessly-in-love Princess Buttercup. It was a movie I would enjoy time and time again and I pretty sure Prussia would agree.

In return he shared with me one of his all-time favorite German movies: Lola Rennt (Run, Lola, Run). As the title suggested there was a girl named Lola and she ran a lot, like half the movie, but it was more than that. There was a romance, thrills, and action as she racks her brain to save her lover from danger. It made it into my top ten movies.

By the time the credits rolled, Prussia was already pulling on his coat and gloves. He told me that he need to pick up a few things and then he'd come back to take me to wherever the heck we were going. The albino was determined to keep our date mysterious, and though I loathed to admit it, I loved the secrecy. I did ask him though what I should wear, hoping to get a hint from him. No such luck. Wear something comfortable, he said giving me a kiss on the cheek before leaving and ten minutes later I was still fretting over what constituted as comfortable. Comfortable for me or for the event that he was still so hush hush about? In the end I decided to switch my previous outfit for stone washed jeans and a fitted white t-shirt that had a black jacket with purple lining that brought out my eyes thrown over it. My brown boots were turned in for black combat boots with a small heel that clacked when I walked. Yes, I was dressing to impress him, sue me.

Not five minutes later Prussia returned and he quickly changed as well. I stared with an appreciative eye at his yellow long-sleeve shirt peeking through an opened fur trimmed black coat. Grey plaid skinny jeans tucked into black and white combat boots with yellow laces. He sent a smug smirk my way to show he noticed my gaze, and I rolled my eyes before opening the front door. We took his motorcycle and once my stomach stopped lurching it was an enjoyable ride. I even gathered the courage to open my eyes after the first 5 minutes of riding to watch in wonder as the world turned into a continuous colourful blur. After I felt like I had taken in enough of the scenery, I closed my eyes and squeezed his mid-section tighter.

We arrived no more than 15 minutes later to a place that was well known: Brandenburg Gate. I read before that the lights often range in colour, but tonight it was bathed in a golden hue giving it a regal appearance. I was still entranced by the sight when we parked the motorcycle and climbed off. I noticed movement in my peripherals and turned, and with growing interest, watched as Prussia unhooked a blanket covered object that was attached to the back of the bike. Unfortunately, it remained covered while he grabbed the top with one hand and placed the other on my lower back to direct me to our destination, the aforementioned gate. We stopped a few feet away, enough to see the structure in all its glory.

"It was commissioned by Fredrick William II as an entrance to Unter den Linden, which led to the palace." Prussia informed me, a faraway look in his eyes. He pointed to the very top where a statue loomed over us. "That's called Quadriga, and that's the goddess of victory driving a chariot pulled by four horses. Napoleon ordered it dismantled when he swooped in to take over Berlin and it was shipped to Paris. It came back though when Paris fell to my forces. You see the iron cross she's holding? It was added as a symbol of my military victory over France." There was a pause as he seemed to collect his thoughts. I took this time to ask a question that was weighing on my mind since we had met.

"Do you miss it?" I asked softly. I knew he understood my question and for a moment I thought he wouldn't answer.

"... Ja," came the equally soft reply and I didn't think, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it gently just like his did for me when we were at the zoo.

"I was a great nation," he seemed to mumble to himself, his hand in mine tightening a fraction.

"Yes," I agreed giving him a squeeze right back. We stood next to each other, still as the stone statue above us, both lost in our own thoughts. "Thank you," I finally told him, breaking the silence that had fallen between us. "Thank you for showing me this."

"It's one of the few things that are...me. I wanted to share it with you, Vögelchen. You both mean a lot to me."

I didn't feel offended by being put on the same level as a stone structure. It wasn't the gate itself, but what it represented that was close to Prussia's heart and I was honored to share a part of that. After another silent moment of reflection we passed through the gate, walking into the Großer Tiergarten. Prussia led me to a clearing among the abundant trees in the garden; it had an unobstructed view of the brilliant stars above us. The people were also pleasantly sparse and out of our way.

With anticipation seeping from my entire being, I watched as he sat the item down in the grass and removed the blanket... Only for there to be another checkered blanket under it. Prussia chuckled at the slightly annoyed look on my face and removed the second blanket as well. Underneath was a basket. A picnic basket. A freaking woven picnic basket. I covered my mouth to keep in the embarrassing 'aww' that threatened to escape. Instead I helped him spread out the checked blanket on the slightly damp grass, and then brought the heavy basket onto the blanket. Prussia held the other thicker blanket as he sat next to me and wrapped it around our shoulders. We sat close to share body heat under the blanket, more for Prussia's benefit than mine, but no less enjoyable for me.

"I went to the outdoor markets to find most of these. I wanted you to get the full Berlin experience," he told me, taking out the items from the basket and explaining each one to me. For drinks we had German beer (the best in the world he assured me) and a bottle of wine.

I tried the Hoppel Poppel first since it was one of the few hot dishes and I didn't want it to get cold. I thoroughly enjoyed it, but not the same can be said for all dishes. Berlin schnitzel, Prussia wisely told me _after_ I had eaten it, was made with cow udders. I vowed to never touch it again. Kantine mustard eggs was a simple dish, but no less delicious than Max und Moritz meatballs.

The currywurst was odd to my taste buds, but not horrible. Prussia was scarfing down his own next to me, a glob of ketchup on his chin. Something came over me (possibly the wine) and boldly I leaned forward to lick it off. He paused at the action, his mouth still open to take another bite and turned towards me. I licked my lips slowly and his eyes widened before narrowing in a challenge, his lips curled into a smirk. I accepted it and leaned forward once more, this time licking at his lips like a cat until they opened and I pushed forward, taking control. He quickly reciprocated, tongue lapping up at mine and soon our food was forgotten while we satisfied a more... Carnal hunger.

In the back of my mind I wondered when I had gotten so bold, so flirty, so confident. It didn't take long to find the answer. It was right in front of me after all, in the form of the loud, crass, childlike, thoughtful, funny, unbelievably _awesome_ man that was my boyfriend.

* * *

><p><strong>Okay, now this fic is officially finished. I<strong>**t was a pain doing the research for this chapter, but you Chick-a-dees are worth it. If the translations are wrong blame Google Translate. I know Mandarin not any of the European languages**

***Knut was freaking adorable and I wish I had the chance to meet the little fella**

**Keep an eye out for the sequel which will be told in Prussia's POV. Until then, you know what to do: Review please~**


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